Bow guide for violins and the like



1,523,633 Apnl 5, 1927- 5. M. MORRIS BOW GUIDE FOR VIOLINS AND THE LIKEI Filed Sept. 9. 1924 INVENTOR 650. f7. NORRIS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 5,1927.

UNITED STATES osonos in. mounts, on monmonn; cemronm.

now oomn ron vionnvs AND THEIJKE.

Application filed September My invention relates to a device forinsuring a proper longitudinal positioning of the bow on the strin s ofa violin or the like.

An object of tie invent-ion is to provide a device of the character.described which will not interfere with the playing or tone of theinstrument to be played.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed In which may be simply rendered inoperative without removal ofthe device.

The invent-ion possesses other objects and features of advantage, someof'which, with the foregoin will be set forth, in the-followingdescription of the'preferred form of my invention which is illustratedin the drawings accompanying and forming part of the s Jecification.Itis to be understood that I 0 not limit myself to the showing made bythe said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of'the preerred form within the scope of-my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure l is a lon 'itudinal sectional view of a violin equippec' withthe device of my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 2r 2 in Figure1.

' Figure 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of my inventio-nshownin Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another embodhnent of my invention. I

Teachers of the violin, and. like instruments, have heretoforeexperienced much difliculty in imparting correct bowing habits to thepupils, owing to the factthat the bowing and fingering must be taughtsimultaneously. The" difliculty arises on account ofthe fact that whilethe bow is preferably used over a limited portion of the strings, thepupil is inclined to allow it to move onto other ortions of the stringsto thus produce faui ty handling of the bow, since the attention of thepupil is chiefly concentrated on the fingering. To obviate the foregoinvand other difliculties in the teaching of the violin, I have provided abowguiding device which prevents the dlsplacement of the bow from itsproper position on the strings and at the same time does not ufiect thetone or appreciably affect the appearance of the violin. As here shown,the bowing-guide of my invention comprises a support member 6 carmountedinany desired manner.

a, 1924. Serial no. iseeso.

ried on the violinbodyi and on which is mounted suitable'g'uide members8. As he]? shown the support 6' is positioned in spaced relation fromand between the strings 9 and holly 11, and between the bridge 12 andthe end 13 of the fingerboard 14 of thoviolin. The support 6 ispreferably held positioned by means of oppositely disposed extensions 16arranged to grip the ethos 17 of the belly at the waist portion-18 of t1e violin. In the present embodiment, the extensions 16 are arrangedwith" slidably engaged portions 21 and 22, the former be n' preferablyformed 'integralwitli thennember 6; The portion is, normally held inretracted position with relation tot-he portion 21 by means of helicalsprings 23 extending between hooks 2-1:, which are preferably "providedon the under side ofthe extension portions 22, with cooperatio hooks 26,the latter beingprovided. on -ie'. underside of-the su )port 6. Theportions 22 are provided tit-n violin engaging portions '27 arranged tofit the belly edges 17' the bearing surfaces of the portions 27bemg'preferably provided with 'Jads'28 of felt or some other soundinsulating substance. In this manner, the device is arranged to beresiliently and removably mounted on the violin and since it is mountedon the edge of the violin belly, does not aifect the tone of theinstrument.

The guide members. 8 may be formed and As.- hero shown, the guidemembers comprise pairs of guide posts 29 mounted on rotatable memers 30,the latter being pivotally carried on the under side of the member (3.The momhers 8 are spaced apart lon itudinally of the violin strings todefine :1 Jon guidewziy of desired width undo-re of such length thatwhen erected they will engage the'ba'ck of the bow, the-posts 29 beingpositioned to protrude between the strings without 'contacting withthem. Slots 32 are provided in the support member 6 so that the posts 29may be swung downwardly below the plane of the strings to allow theplaying of the instrument without use of the device or the removalthereof. it being noted-that this folded position of the posts isindicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4. the support member 41 is in theform of a plate having opposite edges 42 turned down and arranged toreceive the. threaded ends -13 of U shaped violin enguging extensions44:, the latter being shaped at their outer ends to fit the belly edgeof the vlolin. Ad-

justment to fit the violin is simply. accom;' plished by-the use ofc-ooperatlng nuts 45.

on the ends 43 of the extensions 14 disposed on opposite sides of theedges 42. The guide members 46 are also U shaped and are arranged to fitsockets47'provided'1n the face of the member 41, the post portions -'l8of the members 45 being arranged to pass between the violin strings, andthe connecting portions 49 of the members being arranged to be disposedabove and transversely of the strings when the members/l5 .are inposition. In this manner, this embodiment may be rendered inoperative bysimply re moving the guide members from the sockets.

I claim:

1. A bow-guide for a violin or the like comprising asupportiug member,means for releasably mounting said member ini-spaced relation from andover the midportion of the belly of the violin between the bridge andfinger board, and a guide member displaceably mounted on said supportingmember. 7

2-. A bow-guide for a violin or the like comprising a supporting member,means for mounting said member on and between 0pposite edges of thebelly of the violin at the waist thereof and between the strings andsaid belly, and a guide member displaceably carried on said supportingmember.

3. A bow-guiding means for a violin or the like comprising a supportingmember, means for releasably mounting said member on the side edges ofthe violin and disposed between the belly and strings thereof, andmembers displace'ably carried by said supporting member defining aguide/fork for said how between them.

4. A bow-guide for a violin or the like comprising a supporting member,means engageable with opposite side edges of the violin belly formounting said member between the belly and strings of the violinsupporting member and defining a guideway for said how between them.

5. A bow-guide for a violin or the like comprising a supporting-member,means for mounting said member between the strings and belly of theviolin, and guide members pivotally secured to said supporting memberand cooperating when in extended position to limit the movement of thebow toward either end of said strings.

6. A bow-guide for aviolin or the like comprising a supporting member,means for mounting said member on said violin, longitudinally disposedguide members pivotally secured to said supporting members and definingwhen in'extended position a guide way between them to limitthe movementof the bow toward either end of said strings and permitting when infolded position free longitudinal movement of the bow along saidstrings.

'7. A bow-guide for a violin or the like,

comprising a supporting member, means for mounting said member betweenthe belly and strings of the violin and between the bridge andfingerboard thereof,- and longitudinally disposed independently'displaeeable aide members mounted on said member an 00- operating todefine a transversely extending guideway fora bow when operativelydisposed'onthe member.

8. A bow-guide 'for a violin or the like, comprising a supportingmember, means for mounting said member .on the belly of the violin andin a position below the-strings thereof, and a guide member mounted'onsaid supporting member-and movable to a position above said strings froma position tlierebelow, and vice versa.

In testimon I whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at akla-nd,California, this 31st day of July, 1924. r

GEORGE M. MORRIS.

